Data Wall Pre and Post Tests 7th Grade Algebra
Not only is the student benefiting from the metacognition that data can provide, but data is also very engaging when it is about you. Our culture is full of this from the very real to the not-so-real and we are all engaged. Take for example some real common uses of information for no other purpose than entertainment. Strong people might be tempted to “Hit the Bell” at a carnival and then spend some time getting their palm read, looking for information about their future. This is entertainment and this data frequently exists as entertainment because it’s engaging.
Take, for example, another college roommate of mine, Chad. He had all the ingredients to make a college grad. He had the money and time to focus on his studies. He was intelligent beyond the level of his peers and he was highly social. Also, he truly enjoyed the verbal exchange of ideas, in a way that the college classroom can often offer. He had everything needed for success, yet he routinely skipped classes. This led to lost semesters and finally, he left college without a degree after 5 years at the same university.
When I look back on the year I spent living with him, it becomes clear to me what happened. He did desire personal and academic growth, but he couldn’t see it happening in school. When our university provided him with feedback, it was in the form of a letter grade, every semester. The ambiguous and disconnected letter grade. What did an ‘A’ have that a ‘B’ didn’t in terms of his academic growth? How were these classes preparing him for his future? Finally, could anyone quantify for him what exactly it was that he was learning?
Instead of classes, Chad filled much of his time with video games. Among his favorites was a game called Tony Hawk. Named after the famous skateboarder, this game had seemingly endless possibilities for growth and as all video games, it was constantly providing Chad with data about his progress. Not only did he receive detailed updates after each timed round, but he knew of his specific achievements as they happened. These games provided Chad with what he was looking for every moment he played, while our university was providing bi-annual feedback in the form of a letter grade and a promise that years later, the extent and value of his learning would be realized.
So, how can data be used in the classroom?
Much more simply than might be thought. As teachers, we are already collecting mountains of data on our students, yet we rarely aggregate that data and then disaggregate it for meaning. We even more rarely disseminate it to our students.
For example, if you were to give a ten-question spelling test, I’d recommend you do everything the same as you always would. Prepare your students for the test and give the same test and grade it the same way. Now that you have the results, tally up how many students get a ten out of ten, a nine out of ten and so on. Now, total up how many students got number one correct, number two, three and so on. With no more than a few clicks in a computer spreadsheet, you can quickly create a color graph of the class’s results that can be shared with your students. Share the graphs when you pass back their tests, pop the graphs onto your digital projector and watch some powerful metacognition take place…
